Micky Winkler completed his first rollout of the year on the Kawasaki Ninja 400 in Spain. The first few laps were a very personal affair.
Exactly 189 days after his serious accident at the Schleizer Dreieck, Micky Winkler has now turned the throttle on his Kawasaki again for the first time. It was at his home race last year that the 17-year-old crashed and then had to spend a long time recovering from a broken thigh. It was a seemingly endless period for the ambitious Schleiz native, who can now continue to hone his career. He remains an integral part of the Nutec – RT Motorsports by SKM team in 2020. Winkler will once again compete in the IDM Supersport 300. His goal: to finish in the top five in the championship.
His first test after weeks of injury gives cause for hope. In Almeria, Spain, he finally got to know the relationship between himself and the Kawasaki. The outcome of the rendezvous had a happy ending. Winkler trusts his motorcycle like in the old days and says: "I was surprised how well everything still works, even though I couldn't ride for so long." Regarding his physical fitness, he says: "My health is actually quite good, but I can still feel my leg. It was a little uncomfortable on the first day, especially in my hip. But on the remaining days, I generally had no more problems and no pain – it went better than I expected. All in all, I am very, very satisfied."
It wasn't about lap times. The Kawasaki didn't yet comply with the IDM specifications. But Winkler felt good about the whole thing.